Lipid signatures of chronic pain in female adolescents with and without obesity.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain in adolescence is associated with diminished outcomes, lower socioeconomic status in later life, and decreased family well-being. Approximately one third of adolescents with chronic pain have obesity compared to the general population. In obesity, lipid signals regulate insulin sensitivity, satiety, and pain sensation. We determined whether there is a distinct lipid signature associated with chronic pain and its co-occurrence with obesity in adolescents. METHODS: We performed global lipidomics in serum samples from female adolescents (N = 67, 13-17 years old) with no pain/healthy weight (Controls), chronic pain/healthy weight (Pain Non-obese), no pain/obesity (Obese), or chronic pain/obesity (Pain Obese). RESULTS: The Pain Non-obese group had lipid profiles similar to the Obese and Pain Obese groups. The major difference in these lipids included decreased lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI), lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), and lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) in the three clinical groups compared to the Control group. Furthermore, ceramides and sphingomyelin were higher in the groups with obesity when compared to the groups with healthy weight, while plasmalogens were elevated in the Pain Obese group only. CONCLUSIONS: Serum lipid markers are associated with chronic pain and suggest that specific lipid metabolites may be a signaling mechanism for inflammation associated with co-occurring chronic pain and obesity.

A Morphological and Morphometric Study of Bite Marks Caused by Mice (Mus Musculus) on Different Baits for Forensic Purposes.

In animal bites, the dental attributes can be fundamental in identifying the marks made by various species on different matrices. Although rodent bite marks have been studied in the context of postmortem interference, little research has used different baits to analyze these marks linking not only specific behavior patterns but also the possibility of structural damage. Twenty mice (Mus musculus) were exposed to different baits to study their bite marks in a controlled model. The known pattern of parallel and multiple grooves has been seen in all baits, but polyvinyl chloride and fiber-optic cable were significantly different between each other and the other baits. Some baits showed patterns of anchorage of the upper incisors and space between the lower incisors when gnawing. This technical note represents a novel model of analysis where veterinarians and/or dentists may be asked to give an opinion on alleged animal bite marks.

Producción y purificación de anticuerpos aviares (IgYs) a partir de cuerpos de inclusión de una proteína recombinante central en el metabolismo del NAD+ / Production and purification of avian antibodies (IgYs) from inclusion bodies of a recombinant protein central in NAD+ metabolisim / Produção e purificação de anticorpos aviários (IgYs) empregando os corpos de inclusão de uma proteína recombinante importante para o metabolismo do NAD+

El uso de gallinas para la producción de anticuerpos policlonales, reduce la intervención animal, obteniendo además una gran cantidad de anticuerpos. Las aves presentan mayor distancia filogenética entre sus antígenos y los de mamíferos ofreciendo altos porcentajes de anticuerpos específicos. La producción de anticuerpos requiere antígenos en cantidades considerables, por ello es creciente el uso de proteínas recombinantes para tales fines. No obstante, la obtención de proteínas en sistemas heterólogos conduce frecuentemente a la precipitación en agregados insolubles de limitada utilidad (cuerpos de inclusión). Este trabajo presenta una metodología para la producción de anticuerpos policlonales (IgYs) empleando cuerpos de inclusión (CI) como antígeno. Los CI purificados e inoculados corresponden a la Nicotinamida / Nicotinato Mononucleotido Adenililtranferasa (His-GiNMNAT) de Giardia intestinalis expresada en Escherichia coli. La purificación del antígeno se llevó a cabo mediante solubilización y renaturalización. Los anticuerpos se purificaron de la yema de huevo de gallinas imunizadas mediante dilución en agua, seguida de precipitación con sulfato de amonio al 60% y afinidad tiofilica. Los anticuerpos fueron evaluados mediante inmunoblot empleando la proteína His-GiNMNAT. De una yema de huevo se obtuvieron 14,4 mg de IgYs, con alta pureza y con un reconocimiento de hasta 15ng de His-GiNMNAT. Se mejoró la especificidad de los IgYs mediante una purificación adicional por afinidad al antígeno, lo cual permitiría su empleo para el reconocimiento de la proteína del parásito.

In contrast with other animal models, the use of hens for polyclonal antibodies production not only reduces animal intervention, but also increases the quantity of the obtained immunoglobulins. The phylogenetic distance between birds and mammals, leads to more specific avian antibodies than their mammalian counterparts. Since a large amount of antigen is required for avian antibody production, the use of recombinant proteins for this procedure has been growing faster over the last years. Nevertheless, recombinant protein production through heterologous systems, frequently leads to the formation of insoluble and useless aggregates (inclusion bodies, IC). This article presents a strategy to produce avian polyclonal antibodies (IgYs) from IC. In order to obtain the antigen, the Giardia intestinalis nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase recombinant protein (His-GiNMNAT) was expressed in Escherichia coli. The His-GiNMNAT protein was purified through IC solubilization and re-folding. The purified protein was use to immunize hens. The antibodies were purified from egg yolk by water dilution, followed by ammonium sulfate precipitation and thiophilic affinity chromatography. Specificity of the purified antibodies was tested against the His-GiNMNAT protein through Western blot essays. In terms of yield, 14.4 mg of highly pure IgYs were obtained from one egg yolk; these antibodies were able to detect 15 ng of antigen. IgYs specificity was improved by means of antigen affinity purification, allowing its implementation for endogenous detection of GiNMNAT protein in G. intestinalis.

A utilização de galinhas para a produção de anticorpos policlonais, diminui a intervenção sobre o animal e permite a geração de grandes quantidades de anticorpos. As aves têm maior distância filogenética entre os seus antígenos em comparação com os mamíferos, oferecendo altos porcentagens de anticorpos específicos. A produção de anticorpos requerem quantidades consideráveis de antigénio, por conseguinte, é comum a utilização de proteínas recombinantes para esta finalidade. No entanto, a produção de proteínas em sistemas heterólogos muitas vezes leva à precipitação em agregados insolúveis de utilidade limitada (corpos de inclusão). Este trabalho apresenta uma metodologia para a produção de anticorpos policlonais, utilizando proteína recombinante a partir de corpos de inclusão. O antígeno utilizado foi a proteína Nicotinamida / Nicotinato Mononucleótido Adenililtranferasa de Giardia intestinalis gerada em Escherichia coli (His-GiNMNAT). A purificação do antigénio foi feita por solubilização e renaturalização. Os anticorpos foram purificados a partir da gema de ovo de galinhas imunizadas pelo método de diluição em água, seguido de precipitação com sulfato de amónio (60%) e afinidade tiofilica. Os anticorpos foram avaliados por imunoblot utilizando a proteína His-GiNMNAT. De uma gema de ovo foram obtidos 14,4 mg de IgYs com pureza elevada. Estes anticorpos podem reconhecer até 15 ng de His-GiNMNAT. A especificidade dos IgYs foi reforçada por outra purificação por afinidade pelo antigénio. Isto irá permitir a sua utilização para o reconhecimento da proteína do parasita.

CC chemokines mediate leukocyte trafficking into the central nervous system during murine neurocysticercosis: role of gamma delta T cells in amplification of the host immune response.

According to a previous report, the degree of the host immune response highly correlates with severity of the disease in the murine model for neurocysticercosis. In wild-type mice, Mesocestoides corti infection induced a rapid and extensive accumulation of gamma delta T cells and macrophages in the brain. NK cells, dendritic cells, alpha beta T cells, and B cells were also recruited to the brain but at lower levels. In contrast, gamma delta T-cell-deficient mice exhibited decreased cellular infiltration and reduced central nervous system (CNS) pathology. To understand the mechanisms of leukocyte recruitment into the CNS, chemokine expression was analyzed in infected brains in the present study. MCP-1 (CCL2), MIP-1 alpha (CCL3), and MIP-1 beta (CCL4) were up-regulated within 2 days after M. corti infection. Protein expression of RANTES (CCL5), eotaxin (CCL11), and MIP-2 was detected later, at 1 week postinfection. Correlating with the decreased cellular infiltration, delta chain T-cell receptor-deficient (TCR delta(-/-)) mice exhibited substantially reduced levels of most of the chemokines analyzed (with the exception of eotaxin). The results suggest that gamma delta T cells play an important role in the CNS immune response by producing chemokines such as MCP-1 and MIP-1 alpha, enhancing leukocyte trafficking into the brain during murine neurocysticercosis.